


Building Rapport

by dies_dandles



Series: Inquisitor Ayden Trevelyan [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Flirting, Intense Flirting, Interruption, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-19
Updated: 2017-01-19
Packaged: 2018-09-18 13:47:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9387860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dies_dandles/pseuds/dies_dandles
Summary: Beginnings of a relationship. Getting to know and understand each other.





	

“Please pay attention, Herald”, Cullen said, and he was finally starting to sound vexed.

Ayden clambered back onto his feet and looked at the Commander sheepishly. “I’m sorry, Cullen, I don’t know what -”

“I do”, Cullen growled, both annoyed and amused, and glanced at the town gate, where Dorian was talking to some scouts.

Ayden blushed, and scratched the back of his head. “I’m sorry, Cullen.”

The taller man patted his back. “Look, I’m not ttrying to bully you, but you need to learn to use a sword. Archery is just not going to cut it on the front line.”

“I know. I’m sorry”, Ayden picked up the sword, and held up gingerly.

Cullen covered his face his his hand. “No wonder you keep dropping it. Maker! You don’t hold a sword like that!” He moved behind the boy. “Let me show you.”

He reached around Ayden’s slimmer frame and placed his hand over his. “You put your fingers like this; thumb like that over to the other side, near the cross guard. And your other hand”, he reached around his shoulders, “goes like this, closer to the pommel for stability.

“Um, Cullen...” Ayden whispered.

“What is it?”

Ayden twisted his head to look at Cullen, who only now realised that he was all but hugging the younger man. He let go quickly.

“Yeah, sorry about that”, he said, smiling sheepishly in turn.

Ayden smiled, his green eyes sparkling amusedly. “It’s fine. I know you were just teaching me. It’s just that -” Ayden glanced at the gates again.

Cullen looked to the same direction and coughed. “Yes, well”, he mumbled as the mage by the gate turned back to the scouts, his face like a storm cloud.

\---

Dorian came down from the chantry where Leliana had told him Ayden had gone gone to the courtyard. Apparently the boy was to practice swordplay with the blonde commander. He stopped short when he saw Ayden land on his backside.

“Poor kid”, he heard one of the Inquisitor’s troops comment close by. A scout maybe?

“Why?” he asked the scout, and received a suspicious look from the scout and her friend.

“He’s ended up on his ass for a couple of times now. The Commander’s really putting him through his paces.”

“Any idea why?” another quick turn and Ayden ended up on the ground again.

The scout shrugged. “He’s on the front line a lot, isn’t he? Shooting arrows at someone only a metre away isn’t all that effective.”

“Ah, true enough”, Dorian said, “Why swords, though, they’re so clumsy and inelegant. Wouldn’t a knife be more useful.”

“Good point, that”, the scout said, looking impressed, “more suitable too, the Herald’s a slim guy. Using a sword can’t be that easy.”

By the tents Cullen was helping Ayden get up again. He couldn’t hear what was being said, but the next moment the handsome ex-templar was behind the boy. As if embracing him.

“Hey, did you hear me?”

“Sorry?” Dorian turned back to the scout, forcing his face into a more amicable expression.

\---

Dorian was still talking to the scouts when Ayden made his way back into the town proper. He slightly brushed his shoulder against the mage while passing, making the man look at his flushed face.

Ayden glanced back and twitched his head to make him follow. Dorian quickly excused himself from the scouts and followed.

Ayden disappeared behind the Chantry, and Dorian followed, glancing back at Leliana who was by her own tent trying to talk sense into the Quartermaster. He was sure she saw them slip away, but shrugged that off.

They weren’t doing anything wrong, after all.

“Ayden?” Dorian called, not seeing the boy anywhere.

“Hey”, the redhead answered, peeking from behind a tree. “You looked a little angry earlier, so I thought I’d talk to you.”

“Just talk?” Dorian smirked.

Ayden blushed again, but smiled back. “Talk. At least for now.”

Dorian stepped towards the younger man, making him back against the chantry wall. “Alright, let’s talk. Like the other night.”

Ayden swallowed. “Yes”, he answered, biting his lip. He noticed that he was unable to look the other man in the face.

Dorian peeked down at him, and raised his head with gentle fingers under his chin. “Feeling a bit shy?”

“I- ah”, Ayden laughed, “a little. I’m not used to open flirting.” He looked at the other man through his eyelashes.

“And you’re such a natural at it too!” Dorian exclaimed playfully, resting his elbow by Ayden’s head, “Sure you haven’t practised recently?”

Ayden grimaced. “You mean with Cullen? No. He’s just trying to teach me. What you saw was him showing me how to hold a sword.”

Dorian let his hand drop from Ayden’s chin to his hip, and pulled him closer. “Want me to teach you how to hold a sword?”

Ayden turned even redder and opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, in amazement. Dorian let out a soft laugh, and went to step away from the man. Ayden reached his arms around Dorian’s shoulders and pulled him back towards himself.

“Ayden?”

The redhead shook his head, and pulled Dorian even closer. He rested his forehead to Dorian’s.

“Just let me get used to this flirting thing, and you can teach me anything you want”, he whispered, smiling.

“Oh, Maker!” Dorian sighed. “You’re teasing me too much.”

“Mh”, Ayden mumbled, “That makes two of us.”

Dorian pressed his body against the other man. “I’m in a little trouble right now”, he said, “could I just stay here for a while.”

Ayden could feel Dorian’s trouble pressing against his thigh. He slid his arms down to Dorian’s hips, and rested his head on Dorian’s shoulder. “Sure. Stay there as long as you want.”

“Oh, Maker”, Dorian sighed again and closed his eyes.

“Herald! Where are you?” they heard Josephine calling.

“Curse Leliana!” Dorian growled. “She told her we’re here.”

“So, what are you going to do?” Ayden asked, not letting go of the other man.

The mage laughed quietly. “Slip away that way, if you’ll let go of me, oh Herald of Andraste.”

“I kind of don’t want to let go.”

“I kind of feel that.”

“Herald!”

“I really got to go now”, Dorian said, “You have something to do. And I -” he cocked an eyebrow, “have to go take care of business.”

He slipped out of the embrace, and started walking away from the direction Josephine’s voice was coming from.

“Let’s continue this some other time”, Ayden called after him.


End file.
